The present disclosure relates to gas purifiers and more particularly to packed resin or dry chemical bed gas scrubber systems for the treatment of effluent gases produced in semiconductor manufacturing.
In the fabrication of semiconductor devices toxic and corrosive gases, including halogenated species, are used in both etch and deposition processes. After use in a process chamber, the effluent gas stream must be treated before being exhausted into the environment. Several scrubbing devices attachable to an exhaust of the process chamber are known in the art.
Known scrubbing devices consist generally of three types; those which bumn the flammable components of the effluent gas stream, those which decompose water soluble components of the effluent stream in a wetting method and those which adsorb toxic components using adsorbents to chemically and physically decompose the toxic components. Stand-alone scrubbers of the adsorptive type must be periodically replaced as the adsorbent material is used in adsorbing the toxic components and as the adsorbent becomes deactivated with the by-products of reactions between the adsorbent and toxic compounds.
Additionally, particles formed as a by-product of the reactions between the adsorbent and toxic compounds accumulate in the scrubbing devices adversely affecting the flow of effluent gases therethrough. Known scrubbing devices do not provide for insitu cleaning and require that the device be taken off-line for such maintenance.
There therefore exists a need for a stand-alone scrubber system of the packed resin or dry chemical bed type which provides for in-situ cleaning thereof to remove accumulated particles.
A packed resin or dry chemical bed scrubber system and method for the treatment of effluent gases produced in semiconductor manufacturing is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a packed resin or dry chemical bed having a first resin or dry chemical layer packed between two layers of a second resin or dry chemical. A bottom screen and a top screen are provided for supporting the packed resin or dry chemical bed within a canister and to provide a substantially laminar flow of the effluent gases through the packed resin or dry chemical bed. A removable sight glass is provided for monitoring a bottom plenum of a canister in which the packed bed is disposed. The removable sight glass includes a glass member attachable to a flange formed in such manner that an access port is formed upon removal of the glass member. Access to the bottom plenum is thereby provided for in-situ cleaning of the bottom plenum, a dispersion nozzle and a first screen as further described herein.